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Watch List 2017 (part 3)

Welp, it’s time for another go-’round with the old Watch List: where WizKids applies game balance to stuff that should’ve been caught on the drawing board.

Below is a list of figures/game elements that are being added to the HeroClix Watch List for Q4 of 2017:

JW #060 The Joker

WK #DP17-008 Boxing Ring

TMT #058 Uni-Mind

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The Joker (Joker’s Wild 060)

This made webmaster Rurouni KJS’s Top Ten of 2016 last year (but not Sceritz’s. Who’s right? :D) with good reason. What I said then:

The short version is that he’s got to take 18 to 25 clicks of damage in order to be KO’d. On top of that, he has the ability to heal every round.

Only colossals have that kind of longevity. Granted, he’s not very dangerous on any click, barring a lot of external aid. But as a Mastermind fodder piece, especially given how improved that power got in the 2017 rules overhaul, he is potentially game-warping.

HEROCLIXIN’S FIX: He should have had his “KO lines” every four clicks instead of six, to make his dial manipulation ability actually risky. But that’s an impossible errata at this point. So let’s see one of these two fixes instead, if anything:

HOOHOOHOOHAAHAAHAA: At the beginning of your turn, you may roll a d6 and halve the result. When you do, either heal or damage The Joker that many clicks and he can heal past his starting line.

–OR–

New line: The Joker can’t be chosen for Mastermind.

Either put actual risk into his healing or remove his 18- to 30-click dial from being fodder.

WK #DP17-008 Boxing Ring

Hmm, this thing. I hadn’t given it much thought until recalling this is Pulse Wave-proof:

Characters that occupy squares out of the ring modify their attack values by -2 when attacking characters in the ring. Characters that occupy squares in the ring modify their attack value by -2 when attacking characters out of the ring.

So effectively a fig in the ring gets a DV bonus against PW. More to the point, certain characters (Kingdom Come trait bearers, Outsiders) can use the ring without penalty. That’s not fair. And then there’s the ability to camp a fig in the ring for protection and dropping an ID character outside to attack without penalty as well.

It’s not the best solution, but it’s not much of a problem in our experience.

Uni-Mind (The Mighty Thor 058)

When a 150-point character can deal 7 clicks of penetrating damage to a Stealthed character 10 squares away without even the help of a heavy object, much less allies, that’s a problem — especially when KOing it (through a STOP click!) won’t even yield you points. HEROCLIXIN’S FIX:

FREE: Until your next turn, Uni-Mind can’t use the Power Cosmic team ability, but can use Perplex and Willpower. When it uses Perplex and targets itself, it may modify a combat value by +2 or -2 instead. This turn, it may use Perplex an additional time for every two characters with the Eternal keyword in your Sideline that it can choose powers from.

and

FORGED IN BLUE FLAME: During force construction, you may include a number of different characters in your sideline with the Eternal keyword, adding 5 points to Uni-Mind’s point cost for each. If it starts at 150 points, you may include up to 3. If it starts at 275 points, you may include up to 5. If it starts at 370 points, you may include any number. The included characters must be used at their highest point value and be turned to their starting click. At the beginning of each turn and whenever Uni-Mind takes damage, you may choose one standard power a chosen character can use. Uni-Mind can use that power until it chooses again. When Uni-Mind would be KO’d, instead replace it with all the chosen characters on their last non-KO clicks, placing them within 4 squares of it and the opponent scores it. Those characters can’t be healed this game. Protected: Pulse Wave.

That’s the least that should happen. But we’ll see what actually DOES happen.